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C. F. SPERY- LOCK SEAMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED OCT. 14, 1918.

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Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

C. F. SPERY.

LOCK SEAMING MACHINE. APPFICATION man 0c'r.14.19m.

Patented Oct. 14,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 CHARLES F. SPERY, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HOOVEN RADIATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LOGK-SEAMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 14, 1919,

Application filed October 14, 1918. Serial NO. 257,935.

To (div/#710112. it 7n (1 1y concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. Spray, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Scanning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for making a lock-joint or seam between sheet metal parts. More particularly it relates to machines for lock-seaming the ends of metal strips used in automobile radiator construc tion, and for other work in which there is an analogous arrangement of the parts in the neighborhood of the joint.

' The principal objects of the invention are to provide a simple, strong and relatively small and cheap device which will rapidly,

and in a single operation, produce a lockjoint between such parts. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, I have illustrated these improvements in a highly efficient and preferred form. In these drawings Figure 1 is a top plan of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged medial longitudinal section of one end portion of the machine;

Fig. it is a front end view of the machine;

'Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section showing one of the forming rollers and its adjusting means; and

* Figs. 6, 7 and S are fragmentary views showing "the several operations.

The machine comprises a frame, base, or

main support 10 mounted on legs 11. On the driving shaft 12 is secured the disk 13 having the crank pin 14 to which is connected the pitman Slidably mounted upon the main support 10 andconnected to the pitman 15 at 16 is the reciprocating member 17 having a central longitudinal upstanding part surfaced on each side at 18 on lines parallel with the lines of forward and rearward movement of the reciprocating member 17. and'provided at 19--witlr cam surfaces slanting-to the surfaces at 20, the latter being less widely spaced apart oppositely than are the surfaces 18. Two levers, each pivoted intermediate its ends, and substantially in the form of bell-cranks 2223, 2223, are mounted for rocking successive forming movement on the studs 25 respectively, rigidly secured upon the base or main support towardand from each other on bars 31 respectively pivoted at to the frame or base 101 lietween the aws 30 is a projecting tongue-like anvil rigidly secured to the frame or base 10 as by bolts 36. The sides of the anvil 35 are made to conform to the work adapted to rest against them (Fig. 4) and the holding faces of the jaws 30 are similarlyso formed/Each jaw 30 is provided with a gripping element 37 adjustable by means of the screws 38 whereby the jaws as a whole are effectively adjustable toward and from each other so as to provide the desired strength of grip upon metal of different thicknesses operated upon.

The reciprocating member 17 carries at its forward end a bracket or head 45 in which are mounted two forming wheels or rollers 39 and 10 and an intern'iediate shoe ll. The roller 39 and shoe 41 are grooved to receive the material forming the joint andthe roller 40 has a flat face for laying over and pressing down the rib and completing the joint. Each of these rollers 39 and -l0 is mounted on a shaft 42 (Fig. 5) having an eccentric portion 13 on Which the roller rotates. By turning the shaft 42, as by a screwdriver, the roller is moved closer to or farther from the face of the anvil 35. A set screw 44 holds the shaft 42 in any desired position of adjustment. The anvil faces the path of travel of the forming elements 39, 40 and 41, and has an effective length equal to that of the throw of the pi'tman 15.

Radiator cores of the type herein referred to are formed of a plurality of sections side by side, each section including two of sheet metal having their ends secured t gether. In Figs. 6, 7 and 8.,and in Fig. I have shown end portions of one such core section. Various expedients have heretofore been resorted to for seaming such end portions together with various kinds of joints. I find the locking joint herein illustrated to be highly effective, and my ma chine for accomplishing the result is notably rapid in operation. This will be more clear from the following description of its mode of operation.

Two of the strips 50 and 51 are placed by the operator upon the anvil 35 in the position shown by' Fi 1. Thereupon pressure upon a treadle %not shown) operates the clutch 53 on the driving shaft (which clutch may be of the kind usually employed on punch presses and the like) and the shaft is rotated, driving the reciprocating member 17' forward. Inthis movement the rollers 26 ride over the inclined cam surface at 19 and the jaws are moved toward each other, clamping the work against the anvil 85. So long as the rollers 26 remain upon the surfaces 18 the gripping action is maintained. The forming roller 39 lays the extension 55 on one core part down upon the other, or into the position; of Fig.6. The shoe 41, having an inclined groove, next bends the rib over to one side. Following this operation the fiat faced roller 40 presses the rib down against the other parts. These operations follow each other closely, and a single stroke of the reciprocating member 17 completes the seam, as shown in/ Fig. 8, When the reciprocating member 17 moves rearward and the rollers 26 are respectively at the cam surface 19, the springs 60 retract the jaws, enabling the operator to remove the work and insert the next two pieces to be operated upon.

I claim:

1. In a machine for seaming sheet metal parts, the combination of a main support, a reciprocating member lidably mounted therein, a grooved roller former carried by said reciprocating member, an anvil for the work facing the path of movement of said former, a pair of clamping members oppositely disposed and movably mounted adja-' cent to said anvil, means operativelyassociated with said clamping members and with said reciprocating members for moving said clamping members toward said anvil to hold the work thereon, means for maintaining the clamping members in such holding position when the reciprocating member is moving in the forward direction, means for moving the reciprocating member in both directions, and means for withdrawing the clamping members in a direction away from said anvil after the forward stroke of the reciprocating member.

2. In a machine for seaming sheet metal parts, the combination of a main support, a reciprocating member slidably mounted therein, a series of forming elements carried by said reciprocating member, a projecting tongue-like anvil facing the path of movement of said forming elements, a pair ing members in such holding position when the reciprocating member is moving in the forward direction, means for moving the reciprocating member in both directions, and means for withdrawing the clamping member in a direction away from said anvil after the forward stroke of the reciprocating member.

3. In a machine for seaming sheet metal parts, the combination of a main support, a reciprocating member slidably mounted therein, a series of forming elements carried by said reciprocatin member, a projecting tongue-like anvil for the work facing the path of movement of said forming elements, a pair of clamping members oppositely disposed and movably mounted adjacent to said anvil, a pair of bell-crank levers mounted on the main support and cam surfaces on said reciprocating member for moving said clamping members respectively toward said anvil to hold the work thereon, means including said levers for maintaining the clamping members in such holding position when the reciprocating member is moving in the forward direction, means for moving the reciprocating member in both directions, and means for withdrawing the clamping members in a direction away from said anvil after the forward stroke of the reciprocating member.

4. In a seaming machine, the combination with a reciprocating member carrying a forming element, of ananvil facing the path of movement of said forming element, a pair of oppositely disposed jaws respectively mounted to move toward and from said anvil, and means-under the control of said reciprocating member for moving the jaws toward the anvil for holding the work.

thereon.

5. In a seaming machine, the combination with a frame and a reciprocating member carrying a forming element mounted therein, of an anvil facing the path of movement CHARLES F. SPERY. 

